Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Salsa

I learned a few lessons from this Coconut Shrimp & Pineapple Salsa recipe:

Lesson # 1 When Sriracha is involved in a recipe, it has to be good! I already knew this…but oh my word! Sriracha, cilantro AND pineapple. Heaven! Also, I love any excuse to use my beloved cock sauce. *snort*

Lesson # 2: No matter how hard I try, I can’t convince myself that baked coconut/panko covered shrimp taste just like the original fried version. Not to say that these shrimp didn’t taste good, they were actually pretty scrumptious! It’s just that whenever I order coconut shrimp on a menu, they’re both fried and earth shattering. I’m usually on vacation when this happens… drinking fruity cocktails that have umbrellas hanging off the edge of them. So yeah. Maybe that’s the real disconnect or maybe I just really need a vacation? (I do.)

Lesson # 3I must make this pineapple salsa OFTEN and triple the recipe! We ran out of salsa before we ran out of shrimp. I think there was a point where I looked back and saw Casey drinking the juice from the little bowl I put it in. I think that’s a sign that he liked it?

Lesson # 4 Fry the shrimp next time. If I’m really craving fried coconut shrimp, then I should do it. It’s not like I’m going to make this dish weekly… I’ll probably follow all the the same steps but fry the shrimp in a shallow amount of oil in a frying pan. If you’re looking to eat something lighter, by all means make this recipe!

Preheat oven to 450 F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet & set aside.

Place the flour in a shallow dish. In a medium bowl, whip the egg white with a whisk until they are foamy but not quite holding peaks; whisk or mix the 1 teaspoon coconut extract into the egg white. Dredge the shrimp in the flour, shaking off any excess. Add the shrimp to the egg whites and toss to coat completely. Then add the shrimp, a few at a time, to the coconut-panko mixture and coat completely.

Place the breaded shrimp on the wire rack and season generously with salt and pepper. Bake until the breading is golden and crispy and the shrimp are cooked through, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the pineapple with sriracha until smooth. If the pineapple salsa is too thick, add a splash of water. Season with salt and pepper.

I saw “Coconut Shrimp” in my Google Reader preview and started salivating immediately. I’d go so far as to say second only to easy parking at Target, they are the one thing that make me miss life in the suburbs the most. We used to be reasonably close to a chain Carribbean restaurant and I still crave those little suckers and some jerk chicken pasta. Nice work on the whole wheat flour crust to boot!

YU-UM! I have been craving shrimp like crazy lately. Did you see the latest Sunset magazine? There’s a recipe in there that I’m making tonight – Harissa Shrimp with couscous. I’ll let you know how it is.

This looks heavenly. Can’t wait to try it.
(My husband made coconut shrimp for me one day on my birthday…we were newlyweds. He is NOT a chef. But it tasted perfect…maybe my tastebuds were blinded by love?)

[…] like regular flour. I'm thinking it could be a good substitute for the whole wheat flour in the Coconut Shrimp I made. Do you think that would work? Have you used it for that application yet? It was cool to see […]